Over the past several decades, a rapidly expanding field of research known as biodiversity and ecosystem functioning has begun to quantify how the world's biological diversity can, as an independent variable, control ecological processes that are both essential for, and fundamental to, the functioning of ecosystems. Research in this area has often been justified on grounds that (1) loss of biological diversity ranks among the most pronounced changes to the global environment and that (2) reductions in diversity, and corresponding changes in species composition, could alter important services that ecosystems provide to humanity (e.g., food production, pest/disease control, water purification). Here we review over two decades of experiments that have examined how species richness of primary producers influences the suite of ecological processes that are controlled by plants and algae in terrestrial, marine, and freshwater ecosystems. Using formal meta-analyses, we assess the balance of evidence for eight fundamental questions and corresponding hypotheses about the functional role of producer diversity in ecosystems. These include questions about how primary producer diversity influences the efficiency of resource use and biomass production in ecosystems, how primary producer diversity influences the transfer and recycling of biomass to other trophic groups in a food web, and the number of species and spatial /temporal scales at which diversity effects are most apparent. After summarizing the balance of evidence and stating our own confidence in the conclusions, we outline several new questions that must now be addressed if this field is going to evolve into a predictive science that can help conserve and manage ecological processes in ecosystems.

There is growing recognition that classifying terrestrial plant species on the basis of their function (into 'functional types') rather than their higher taxonomic identity, is a promising way forward for tackling important ecological questions at the scale of ecosystems, landscapes or biomes. These questions include those on vegetation responses to and vegetation effects on, environmental changes (e.g. changes in climate, atmospheric chemistry, land use or other disturbances). There is also growing consensus about a shortlist of plant traits that should underlie such functional plant classifications, because they have strong predictive power of important ecosystem responses to environmental change and/or they themselves have strong impacts on ecosystem processes. The most favoured traits are those that are also relatively easy and inexpensive to measure for large numbers of plant species. Large international research efforts, promoted by the IGBP–GCTE Programme, are underway to screen predominant plant species in various ecosystems and biomes worldwide for such traits. This paper provides an international methodological protocol aimed at standardising this research effort, based on consensus among a broad group of scientists in this field. It features a practical handbook with step-by-step recipes, with relatively brief information about the ecological context, for 28 functional traits recognised as critical for tackling large-scale ecological questions.

Biodiversity is proposed to be important for the rate of ecosystem functions. Most biodiversity-ecosystem function studies, however, consider only one response variable at a time, and even when multiple variables are examined they are analyzed separately. This means that a very important aspect of biodiversity is overlooked: the possibility for different species to carry out different functions at any one time. We propose a conceptual model to explore the effects of species loss on overall ecosystem functioning, where overall functioning is defined as the joint effect of many ecosystem functions. We show that, due to multifunctional complementarity among species, overall functioning is more susceptible to species loss than are single functions. Modeled relationships between species richness and overall ecosystem functioning using five empirical data sets on monocultures reflected the range of effects of species loss on multiple functions predicted by the model. Furthermore, an exploration of the correlations across functions and the degree of redundancy within functions revealed that multifunctional redundancy was generally lower than single-function redundancy in these empirical data sets. We suggest that by shifting the focus to the variety of functions maintained by a diversity of species, the full importance of biodiversity for the functioning of ecosystems can be uncovered. Our results are thus important for conservation and management of biota and ecosystem services.

Grassland ecosystem is not only an important natural security barrier of natural system,but also the key support of animal husbandry development. The ecological quality of grassland in the upper reaches of the Yellow River is related to the ecological protection and regional sustainable development of the whole Yellow River Basin. However,in recent years,the grassland ecological environment in the upper reaches of the Yellow River has evolved in a direction that is not conducive to human development. Grassland degradation has accelerated the process of land desertification. At the same time,it has caused natural disasters and river cutoff,which has restricted the healthy and stable development of regional economy. In this paper,the present situation,causes and main characteristics of grassland degradation in important water conservation areas in the upper reaches of the Yellow River were summarized. The technical model of grassland ecological function improvement and grassland adaptive management mechanism were put forward,and the new technologies of grassland restoration and management in the future were prospected. The purpose of this study was to provide theoretical and technical support for ecological restoration and governance of typical water conservation areas such as Sanjiangyuan,Qilian Mountain and Gannan,so as to provide scientific reference for effectively promoting ecological protection and high-quality development of the Yellow River Basin and helping the country to build a sound ecological security system.

草地生态系统不仅是自然系统重要的天然安全屏障，也是畜牧业发展的关键依托。黄河上游草地生态质量关系到整个黄河流域的生态保护和区域可持续发展。然而，近年来黄河上游草地生态环境向着不利于人类发展的方向演化，草地退化问题日趋严重，加速了土地荒漠化进程，同时引发自然灾害、河流断流等问题，制约了地区经济健康稳定的发展。本文综述了黄河上游重要水源涵养区域草地退化现状、成因和草地退化的主要特征，提出了草地生态功能提升技术模式及草地适应性管理机制，并对未来草地恢复治理新技术进行了展望，旨在为三江源、祁连山和甘南等典型水源涵养区的生态恢复和治理提供理论和技术支撑，以期对有效推动黄河流域生态保护和高质量发展及助力国家构建完善的生态安全体系提供科学参考。

Increasing attention has recently been focused on the linkages between plant functional traits and ecosystem functioning. A comprehensive understanding of these linkages can facilitate to address the ecological consequences of plant species loss induced by human activities and climate change, and provide theoretical support for ecological restoration and ecosystem management. In recent twenty years, the evidence of strong correlations between plant functional traits and changes in ecosystem processes is growing. More importantly, ecosystem functioning can be predicted more precisely, using plant functional trait diversity (i.e., functional diversity) than species diversity. In this paper, we first defined plant functional traits and their important roles in determining ecosystem processes. Then, we review recent advances in the relationships between ecosystem functions and plant functional traits and their diversity. Finally, we propose several important future research directions, including (1) exploration of the relationships between aboveground and belowground plant traits and their roles in determining ecosystem functioning, (2) incorporation of the impacts of consumer and global environmental change into the correlation between plant functional traits and ecosystem functioning, (3) effects of functional diversity on ecosystem multifunctionality, and (4) examination of the functional diversity-ecosystem functioning relationship at different temporal and spatial scales.

植物功能性状与生态系统功能是生态学研究的一个重要领域和热点问题。开展植物功能性状与生态系统功能的研究不仅有助于人类更好地应对全球变化情景下生物多样性丧失的生态学后果,而且能为生态恢复实践提供理论基础。近二十年来,该领域的研究迅速发展,并取得了一系列的重要研究成果,增强了人们对植物功能性状-生态系统功能关系的认识和理解。本文首先明确了植物功能性状的概念, 评述了近年来植物功能性状-生态系统功能关系领域的重要研究结果, 尤其是植物功能性状多样性-生态系统功能关系研究现状; 提出了未来植物功能性状与生态系统功能关系研究中应加强植物地上和地下性状之间关系及其与生态系统功能、植物功能性状与生态系统多功能性、不同时空尺度上植物功能性状与生态系统功能, 以及全球变化和消费者的影响等方面。

随着全球变化对生物多样性的影响不断加剧, 生物多样性与生态系统功能之间相互关系(BEF)的研究显得极为重要。过去的20多年, BEF的研究大多集中在对物种多样性与单一或少数生态系统功能之间关系的探讨, 但生态系统最为重要的价值是同时维持多种服务和功能的能力, 基于此, 该文首次在国内引入近年来不断完善的生态系统多功能性(multifunctionality)的概念, 并对目前主流的评价方法进行了改进, 从而对内蒙古三种利用方式(刈割、围封、放牧)下的草地群落进行了多功能性评价, 并探讨了多功能性与物种多样性之间的关系。结果显示本研究改进的方法和目前主流方法评价得出的多功能性指数在样方和样地尺度上都有很高的相关性(R² = 0.6956, p < 0.0001; R² = 0.9231, p < 0.0001), 表明该文作者改进后的方法是可靠的。重度放牧的草地群落物种多样性水平最低, 绝大多数土壤功能指标较差, 表现出退化特征; 7年的围封和刈割群落均有较高的物种多样性水平和改善的土壤功能指标; 三者的多功能性指数为刈割(0.2178) >围封(0.0704) >放牧(-0.8031)。植被样方主要沿水肥梯度分布; 多样性指数中, 均匀度指数(Pielou index)和丰富度指数(Margelf index)对多功能性的影响作用最大, 均为样方尺度(R²= 0.1871, p < 0.0001; R²= 0.1601, p < 0.0001)小于样地尺度(R²= 0.5921, p = 0.0093; R²= 0.7499, p = 0.0007), 有尺度依赖性; 多功能性在样方和样地尺度上均与物种均匀度呈线性正相关关系, 而与物种丰富度呈单峰曲线关系。该文研究结果表明, 相对于重度放牧和围封, 刈割更有利于维持该地区生态系统的多功能性; 物种丰富度适中且物种分布均匀的生态系统可能有更好的多功能性。

植物群落功能多样性与生态系统多功能的关系是近年来生态学研究的新视角,以往的研究多关注植物群落功能多样性与单一生态系统功能的关系,缺乏对生态系统多功能的理解。本研究以甘南高寒草甸植物群落为对象,选取地上生物量、土壤有机碳、土壤全氮、土壤全磷、土壤速效氮和土壤速效磷6个功能指标,运用Bartlett球形度检验与多阈值分析法,分析甘南高寒草甸海拔梯度上植物群落功能多样性与生态系统多功能的关系。结果表明:不同海拔植物群落组成差异显著,且海拔3500 m物种丰富度、植物盖度显著高于其他海拔。一元、多元功能多样性随海拔升高总体呈降低趋势,且海拔间差异显著。冗余分析发现,一元、多元功能丰富度、功能均匀度、Rao的二次熵均与土壤温度、土壤含水量、土壤容重呈显著正相关,与土壤pH、土壤电导率呈显著负相关。在较大阈值范围(6%～89%)内,功能多样性对生态系统多功能具有显著正效应;基于相关分析、最优回归模型和随机森林模型分析发现,功能多样性中多元功能丰富度指数与生态系统多功能具有显著正线性关系,同时多元功能丰富度也是生态系统多功能的主要驱动因素。总体来看,功能丰富度对青藏高原高寒草甸生态系统多功能的影响最为显著。

研究了甘南亚高寒草甸不同坡向条件下矮嵩草、狼毒和棘豆叶片的叶绿素、游离脯氨酸和可溶性糖含量,以及稳定碳同位素(δ¹³C)的变化,分析干旱胁迫条件下,植物适应干旱胁迫的生理机制.结果表明: 随着坡向由北坡-西北坡-西坡-西南坡到南坡的变化,土壤含水量(北坡0.36 g·g^-1,南坡0.15 g·g^-1)呈降低趋势,土壤温度(北坡14.76 ℃,南坡24.85 ℃)和光照度(北坡540.34 lx,南坡744.12 lx)呈增加趋势;植物物种的组成也随之发生了变化,北坡主要有灌木金露梅及杂类草,而南坡主要有禾草类物种.3种植物叶片的脯氨酸、可溶性糖、叶绿素含量及稳定碳同位素(δ¹³C)随着坡向的变化均有不同程度的变化,且物种不同,各物种的生理指标变化幅度也有差异.在坡向梯度上,3种植物的脯氨酸、可溶性糖含量和稳定碳同位素与土壤含水量均呈显著负相关,与温度和光照强度呈显著正相关;植物叶片叶绿素与土壤含水量呈显著正相关,与温度和光照强度呈显著负相关.其中,土壤含水量是坡向梯度上影响植物生长的关键因子.植物叶片生理指标(脯氨酸、可溶性糖及叶绿素等)可以作为衡量植物抗逆性的因素,3种植物的抗性大小顺序为:矮嵩草>狼毒>棘豆.

Aims Understanding the spatial patterns and maintenance mechanisms of biodiversity is one of the central issues in ecology and biogeography. Specifically, altitudinal patterns of biodiversity have been widely explored to represent to mimic the latitudinal patterns. However, previous studies on altitudinal patterns of plant diversity have focused mainly on the taxonomic diversity, with less attention paid to the comprehensive information of taxonomic, phylogenetic evolution and functional traits. In this study, we explored maintenance mechanisms of diversity of forest communities in Mount Guandi, by comparing the altitudinal patterns of taxonomic, phylogenetic and functional diversity, based on the systematic investigation of forest communities.Methods 52 forest plots, each with an area of 30 m × 20 m and divided into six subplots (10 m × 10 m), were investigated along the altitudinal gradient (1 409-2 150 m) in Mount Guandi, Shanxi. Name, diameter at breast height (DBH) and height were identified and measured for each tree stem with DBH ≥3 cm at each plot; name, average height, coverage and basal diameter for each shrub species were identified and measured in two of the six subplots; name, abundance, coverage and average height for each herbaceous species were identified and measured for one quadrat of 1 m × 1 m in each subplot. The indices of taxonomic, phylogenetic and functional α and β diversity were then calculated.Important findings Species richness (S), phylogenetic diversity (PD) and functional richness (FRic) increased along the altitudinal gradient, especially in altitudes above 1 800 m. Total β diversity (βtotal) and replacement β diversity (βrepl) increased, while the richness difference (βrich) decreased, along the altitudinal gradient. The patterns of taxonomic, phylogenetic and functional diversity were significantly different between woody and herbaceous plants. S and Shannon-Wiener diversity (H′) of herbaceous plants increased more obvious along the altitude than those of woody plants. Topographic factors regulated the pattern of the herbaceous plant richness, while historical process regulated the woody plant richness. Along the altitude, βtotal increased more obvious for the woody plants than for the herbaceous plants. βrepl and βrich of woody plant showed a unimodal pattern and U-shaped pattern, while those of herbaceous plants increased or decreased, respectively. Taxonomic, phylogenetic and functional β diversity of both woody and herbaceous plants among communities increased with the environmental and geographical distances. Environmental distance had a relatively stronger effects than geographical distance on β diversity of woody plants, while environmental distance and geographical distance jointly influenced β diversity of the herbaceous plants.

探索和揭示生物多样性的空间格局和维持机制是生态学和生物地理学研究的热点内容, 但综合物种、系统进化和功能属性等方面的多样性海拔格局研究很少。该文以关帝山森林群落为研究对象, 综合物种、谱系和功能α和β多样性指数, 旨在初步探讨关帝山森林群落多样性海拔格局及其维持机制。研究结果表明: 随着海拔的升高(1 409-2 150 m), 关帝山森林群落物种丰富度指数(S)、谱系多样性指数(PD)和功能丰富度指数(FRic)整体上表现出上升的趋势, 特别是海拔1 800 m以上区域。随着海拔的升高, 总β多样性(β_total)和更替(β_repl)上升趋势明显, 而丰富度差异(β_rich)则逐渐下降。不同生活型植物的物种、谱系和功能多样性海拔格局差异较大。随着海拔的升高, 草本植物S和物种多样性指数(H′)上升趋势高于木本植物。影响草本植物S分布的主要因素是地形因子, 而影响木本植物S分布的主要因素是历史过程。随着海拔的升高, 木本植物β_total上升趋势要比草本植物明显。随着海拔的升高, 木本植物β_repl和β_rich分别表现出单峰格局和“U”形格局, 而草本植物β_repl和β_rich则分别表现出单调递增和单调递减的格局。随着环境差异和地理距离的增加, 群落间物种、谱系和功能β多样性显著增加。环境差异(环境过滤)对木本植物的β多样性具有相对较强的作用; 而环境差异(环境过滤)和地理距离(扩散限制)共同作用于草本植物的β多样性。

Analysis of functional diversity, based on plant traits and community structure, provides a promising approach for exploration of the adaptive strategies of plants and the relationship between plant traits and ecosystem functioning. However, it is unclear how the number of plant traits included influences functional diversity, and whether or not there are quantitatively dependent traits. This information is fundamental to the correct use of functional diversity metrics. Here, we measured 34 traits of 366 plant species in nine forests from the tropical to boreal zones in China. These traits were used to calculate seven functional diversity metrics: functional richness (functional attribute diversity (FAD), modified FAD (MFAD), convex hull hypervolume (FRic)), functional evenness (FEve), and functional divergence (functional divergence (FDiv), functional dispersion (FDis), quadratic entropy (RaoQ)). Functional richness metrics increased with an increase in trait number, whereas the relationships between the trait divergence indexes (FDiv and FDis) and trait number were inconsistent. Four of the seven functional diversity indexes (FAD, MFAD, FRic, and RaoQ) were comparable with those in previous studies, showing predictable trends with a change in trait number. We verified our hypothesis that the number of traits strongly influences functional diversity. The relationships between these predictable functional diversity metrics and the number of traits facilitated the development of a standard protocol to enhance comparability across different studies. These findings can support integration of functional diversity index data from different studies at the site to the regional scale, and they focus attention on the influence of quantitative selection of traits on functional diversity analysis.